Repaired railroad rail



Jan. 16, 1940. H. s. GEORGE 2,136,967

REPAIRED RAILROAD RAIL Original Filed Nov. 10, 1936 F/G.Z. F/ ifi. F754.Baa-.5. F766.

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ATTORNEYS.

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Patented Jan. 16, 1940 I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REPAIRED RAILROADRAIL Harry s. George, New York, N. Y,

Original application November 10, 1938, Serial No.

110,045. Divided and this application February 9, 1938, Serial No.189,484

12 Claims. (Cl. 238148) This invention relates to repaired railroadrails, supplied from the mill possess a hardness far i. e., to railswhich have the tread surfaces'thereshort of that necessary to resistplastic flow, of battered at the ends but which-have been reusuallyamounting to about 275-280 Brinell. conditioned to provide asmooth-riding joint by Furthermore, the hardness of rail ends built up abuilding up the tread surface to a sufficient exby former methodslikewise is neither uniform tent to assure that the wheels of therailway rollnor adequate, usually ranging from 250-300. ing stock willpass smoothly from one rail to the I have also found that by restrictingthe width next. of the strip to about to 1 /2 inches, that is to Beforedescribing the invention in detail, cersay to a width less thanthree-quarters of the tain facts will be set forth pertaining to thedewidth of the head of the rail, I am enabled, as 10 forming action ofthe wheels on the rails, together hereinafter explained, to build upworn treads with a brief discussion of the prior art relating of anylength and to attain a substantially unito the repair and reinforcementof rails which form hardness of the deposited metal sufficient have beensubjected to such action. to greatly reduce and even to prevent plasticThe tread of a new rail is crowned, but the flow, without the necessityof subsequent heat transverse contour of a car'or locomotive wheeltreatment, the depositing operation itself being in good condition formsa straight line having an inherently of a hardening nature. upward slopefrom the flange. The rail is usual- Formerly, in the case of built uptreads longer ly canted. As a consequence of these conditions thanapproximately three inches, the requisite the line of contact betweenthe wheel and the rail hardness has not been attained throughout the 20tread when the latter is new lies between the cendeposited metal becausethe methods hitherto in ter and the outside edge of the rail. This lineuse have been inherently softening. or rather strip of contact graduallywidens be- By making the built up strip of metal of less cause ofabrasion and plastic flow until, after sevwidth than three-quarters ofthe Width of the eral years of service, it occupies practically the railthroughout at least the major portion of its 25 full width of the railhead. length, and such major portion being of a width When and where thewheels contact the rail ,which can be conveniently deposited by anopertread at an edge (as along a side under some cirator of ordinaryskill at a single pass, it is poscumstances, and always at the railends) the rate sible to cause the deposited strip to be built up ofplastic flow of the rail metal is more rapid, continuously from-end toend without objection- 30 and projecting fins of metal are formed in aably reheating any portion of the deposited metal manner similar to thefamiliar mushrooming which has cooled below the critical temperature ofa hammer or chisel head. This lateral deand without undue retardation ofthe cooling formation is accompanied by a depression of the rate. Bydepositing the metal progressively from tread below the general leveland, where it occurs one end to the other of the battered surface under35 at rail joints, results in rough riding. The batrepair and byrestricting the heat input, the detering, which originates at the railextremity and posited metal may be caused to cool naturally, and whichis most severe in that region, is gradually at a rate suflicient toinduce a suitable hardening, extended along the rail from the end sothat it is and without objectionable reheating and may,

4 likely to extend after a time for a distance of therefore, be causedto have aBrinell hardness of 40. many inches. any desired value,including any value in the It is a customary operation in trackmainterange 330-350, within very close limits, say five nance to buildup the battered areas at the joints points, by controlling suchvariables as the width by applying a coating of metal over the batteredof the strip and the rate of application, as heresurface either by theelectric or the oxy-acetylene inafter described. process, so as to coverthe entire battered area. The above discussion on hardening presupposesThe present invention will be discussed in conthat the added metal aswell as the rail is of suitnection with the oxy-acetylene process, butit is able composition, as hereinafter explained. not restricted to thatprocess. In accordance with the present invention, a

I have found that a Brinell hardness of 350 repaired rail section isprovided having a raised 50 on the rail tread is sufiicient to preventbatter strip of hardenable metal (that is, raised with reunder theheaviest wheel loads, and that a somespect to the laterally adjacentbattered area, but what lower hardness, say in the range of 330-340, atthe same general level as that of the tread) is sufiicient topractically eliminate plastic flow which is of not more thanthree-quarters the under the average tramc condi ions. as width of therail head throughout the major por- 55 tion of its length and whichstands above the laterally adjacentbattered tread area to carry the loadacross the battered joint. Such a strip is hereinafter referred to'as acauseway strip.,

Such a repaired joint has the advantage of economizing repair metalsince not more than three-quarters of the battered area is built up as arule, and generally substantially less than half the battered area isbuilt up. The advantages of reducing the width of the strip of addedmetal increase as the width decreases to an as yet undetermined minimumwidth. Tests are now in progress to determine the minimum and theoptimum widths of strip under various traflic conditions. In someinstances I have even caused repair strips to be applied, which weresubstantially less than one inch wide, and these strips, which have nowbeen in main line service for more than a year, do not at the presenttime show any signs of inadequacy or of deterioration. Besideseconomizing metal, the application of a repair strip in accordance withthe present invention also makes possible a corresponding economy ofwelding gases and a similar economy of the welders time. Extensiveoperations have shown that the cost of joint repair per inch has beencut approximately in half.

Besides the advantages of economy heretofore pointed out, it may bedefinitely stated as a fact, based on extensive observations, that railjoints repaired by the application of causeway strips as above indicatedare more durable, and therefore more satisfactory in service, than railjoints repaired by the best known prior practices. Such causeway stripswill provide smooth riding for longer, periods than any rail repaired byprior methods.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

40 The present application is a division of my pending applicationSerial No. 110,045, filed November 10, 1936, for Rails and processes forproducing same.

The novel process of rail repair involved in the present disclosure isdisclosed and claimed in my said parent application and is not claimedherein. In the present application the claims are confined to therepaired rail forming the product Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in endelevation illustrat ng certain features and principles connected withrail construction and conditions of use which will serve to facilitatean understanding of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a pair of abutting rail heads at a rail jointhaving worn tread areas at their ends built up according to formermethods by a sequence of adjacent beads or strips;

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 represent similar joints built up in accordance withvarious practices comprehended within the present invention; and

Fig. '7 illustrates diagrammatically the characteristic temperaturechanges occurring at a given point on a rail tread built up by 1) formerprocesses, and (2) the present invention.

As a basis for understanding the present invention, the conditionsimposed" by the rail construction and by the traflic which the railbears, as well as the prior art practice, will first be discussedbriefly.

In Figure 1 It indicates the rail. tre d, W the the tread surfacesuitably prepared to receive it,

all by well known precedures. Usually, a layer of metal about A; inchthick or less is applied. The width of the puddle is usually about to 1/2 inch, depending upon the apparatus and the skill employed. Worn treadsurfaces, at the time they are built up, are usually about 5 to 10inches long and, because it has heretofore been considered necessary tocover the worn area completely-and build it up to the general level ofthe rest of the tread, previous methods have necessitated theapplication of several beads as the deposits are termed, adjacent toeach other (see Fig. 2). The beads have been deposited either incontinuous succession, or with an intermission to permit a certainamount of cooling of the metal first applied, as in the methodof mycopending application Serial No. 688,333, now U. S. Patent No.2,075,810. InFigure 2 the several beads are numbered in the order oftheir application.

The chief object of my previous invention was to produce a satisfactoryhardness at the extreme end portion of a built up tread over threeinches in length, for I had found that, in general, where such built uptreads exceed that length,

' too much heat is put into the rail to admit of a sufliciently rapidrate of cooling to produce the desired hardness.

The former practice as diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 2 causesthe reheating of much of the previously deposited metal, because of thedisposition of the successive beads adjacent to one another. Some partsare reheated above the critical range, and, if the subsequent rate ofcooling is sufficiently rapid, are hardened to certain degree, thoughusually insufficiently to prevent plastic flow; the major portion,however, is usually reheated to a high temperature but somewhat belowthe critical temperature (see Figure 7, curve I). Such reheating belowthe critical temperature is known in heat treating as drawing ortempering and has a softening effect, which reduces the resistance ofthe metal so treated to abrasion and plastic deformation.

I have found that it is possible and feasible to deposit a single beadof any desired length longitudinally on a depressed rai'l tread area, asat a rail joint, without reheating any part of the bead that may havecooled below the critical range; and that the width of this bead and itsrate of application may be utilized to control the amount of heat putinto the rail and thereby to control the subsequent rate of cooling andthe hardness of the deposited metal. Other factors that control thehardness are the apparatus, the size of the rail, the composition of therod, and the technique of its application. In the present invention, bythe proper adjustment of all these factors relative to one another, itbecomes possible and feasible to impart sumcient hardness to thedeposited metal to prevent plastic deformation. Compare the slopes (rateof cooling) of curves I and 2. F18. 7. through the critical temperature.

Among the variations in the technique of gas welding are the ways inwhich the coating may be hammered while hot and malleable. Suchhammering is customary and universal and has two purposes, (1) to shapethe coating to the contour of the rail and bring it to the general treadlevel, and (2) to improve the physical properties by compacting themetal, and by refining its metallographic or crystalline structure. Twomethods of hammering are in common use. The first and oldest methodcomprises a preliminary hammering with a hand hammer followed by anoperation known as fiattering". Flattering consists in placing on thecoating a properly shaped metal shoe and hammering the latter. Thesecond, more recent practice, comprises a preliminary hand hammering, asin the first method, followed by surface grinding, using a power drivengrinding wheel.

Where flattering is employed, it is preferable in connection with thepresent invention, when the highest desirable degree of hardness is theobjective, to dispense with the preliminary hand hammering and to applythe flatter to successive short increments of the strip (1. e., 2 to 3inches in length) immediately after they have been deposited. I'heflattering should be performed expeditiously to complete the hammeringoperation on each increment of coating, and permit the application ofthe next increment to be begun before the coating has cooled below thecritical temperature.

Variations in the technique of hand hammering have been practicedformerly, but the preferred method in connection with the presentinvention is essentially the same as that described above forflattering, namely, the hammering of short increments, and maintainingabove the critical temperature that part of the deposits adjacent to thesucceeeding increment, until the deposition of the latter has beenstarted. The purpose of the preferred techniques, whether of flatteringor hand hammering is to prevent the reheating to a high temperaturebelow the critical temperature, of any part of the deposit that may havecooled substantially belowthe critical temperature.

Where the maximum desirable hardness is not required, then departuresfrom the preferred practices of depositing and hammering arepermissible.

I have found that to satisfactorily resist flow under the heaviestAmerican wheel loads the built up strip should have a Brinell hardnessnumber of at least 350 before service, the corresponding scleroscopehardness being about 50. After service the scleroscope hardness of thesurface is increased by cold work to about 55-58. The hardness of thecold worked layer, while not correctly indicated by the Brinell test,corresponds to a Brinell number of about 375-400.

I have also found that in the alloys available and feasible for coating,and in fact in rail steel itself, a hardness greater than about 425Brinell before service may be accompanied by an undesirable brittleness.I, therefore, consider the range of hardness most suitable for thepurpose to be 350-425 Brinell before service, corresponding to ascleroscope hardness of -60. After service the most desirablescleroscope range is -65.

An important object of my invention is to provide a repaired rail treadhaving a hardness throughout the repaired area which lies within thepreferred range, but it is to be understood that the above discussionrelative to hardness is for guidance and not for limiting purposes, and

Per cent Carbon 50 Chromium 90-1. 10 Manganese i 90-1. 10 Silicon 40-(all percentages by weight) and the remainder principally iron.

Such an alloy is now commonly used for repairing worn rail ends,'butbecause prior processes are inherently softening in their nature andeffeet, as already explained, rail ends repaired in the usual mannerwith this and similar alloys do not possess a uniform or sufiicienthardness but are as soft as the rail itself and often even softer (thatis, in substantial portions of the built up areas).

One operator may put as much heat into the rail in making a deposit oneinch'in width as another will for a 1 inch strip, assuming equal lengthsof deposits. Consequently, it is advantageous and practicable, to varythe width of the strip, as well as the composition of the coating, inaccordance with the personal characteristics of individual welders tocontrol the hardness of a welders product, the only requirements beingthat the welder shall follow instructions as to the width of the stripto be applied, shall apply it at a reasonably uniform rate, and shall befurnished with customary and standard equipment operated at the usualgas pressures.

An advantage of limiting the width of the bead is that it reduces theheat input, thereby increasing the subsequent cooling rate and,consequently, the hardness. If the rail head were coated its full width,even though only a single head were applied (if such were practicallypossible without reheating), the heat input would be so great as tomaterially retard the cooling rate and the resulting hardness.

As an example of the method, using a welding rod of the compositionspecified above, a uniform hardness of the coating amounting to 58-64scleroscope, after service, is attained by applying a central strip 1inches wide at a rate of one linear inch per minute on the tread of arail weighing in the range, 100-130 pounds per yard.

A welder of ordinary skill can apply the aforesaid coating at the statedrate, with a single burner, hand operated torch consuming oxygen andacetylene, at a rate of about 80 cubic feet per hour, each.

By testing specimens of an operator's work from time to time, for anygiven welding rod, the necessary adjustment as to strip width or,alternatively the rate of application can be readily determined andhence by a proper control of these factors the production of repairedjoints coming reasonably near to the most desirable hardness can beuniforming obtained.

The technique of the coating process is important chiefly because of itseffect on the composition of the deposited metal. A flame adjusted to anexcess of acetylene is preferable, and the metal is preferably appliedaccording to the technique described in my previously patentedselffluxing process of welding (U. S. Patent No.

1 1,973,341); wherein the base metal immediately adjacent the depositedmetal preferably is maintained at a temperature several hundred degreesbelow its own melting point but above the melting point of theiron-carbon eutectic while being joined integrally to added metal.skillful operators, however, can apply the coating with a neutral flame,at the same time meltingthe base metal, without unduly affecting thecomposition of the deposited metal. But as thus practiced, there isdanger on the one hand of loss of the essential elements in the rod byoxidation, and on the other hand of adding too much carbon from admixedrail metal.

An important precaution in any case is to refrain from operating toocontinuously with the inner cone of the flame (oxidizing in effect)buried in the molten deposit. Excessive working over the molten depositwith the flame depletes the essential hardening elements. The flame ispreferably pointed almost vertically downward, but if inclined it shouldbe directed ahead and not backward over the already deposited metal thathas started to cool.

In case the application of metal is temporarily stopped to hammer thehead, for example, after completing one rail end, care should be takennot to point the flame toward the finished deposit when the operation isresumed.

Although the essentials of the correct procedure for building up railtreads in accordance with the present invention have been specifiedabove, it is neither practicable nor necessary to restrict theindividual technique or minor manipulations.

The requirement that the hardness of the product shall fall within aspecified range affords a ready means, not hitherto available be causenot applicable to former processes, of establishing a criterion of thequality of the product and controlling it, as will be understood frommetallurgical considerations.

The built up tread may be finished smooth and to the proper level byhammering, grinding, or both, and the ends of the rails finished bycrossslotting, as is customary. It is generally immaterial whether themarginal portions of the built up metal run along straight or irregularlines, it being unimportant from .the standpoint of service what anglethe boundaries of the built up metal make with the adjacent'rail metal.

The surface of the hardened strip is preferably shaped to produce acentral area thereon at a higher level than the marginal areas to causethe wheel to bear on the higher central level and thereby protect thelateral edges of the strip from concentrated loading and possibledeformation. In Figure 1, S represents the central contact strip and thewidth thereof on the hardened strip whose sides slope to the lines onthe rail at the extremities of the depressions D. The elevation of thecontact strip S is the same as that of the rail tread intermediate ofthe rail ends.

When the present invention is practiced in the preferred form, that is,when the causeway strip, composed of the cited rod composition or itsequivalent, is applied progressively and without the reheating of anypart thereof, the resulting metallographic structure, of both thecoating and the contiguous rail metal, as well as their hardness, servesto distinguish them from the prodnets of other processes. The coating ischaracterized by a crystalline structure typical of metal that has beenheated to its melting point and thereafter cooled at a sufficientlyrapid rate to induce a substantial hardening, while the structurethroughout consists of sorbite or troostite, or a mixture thereof,without any pearlite or martensite. Even though pearlite, sorbite andtroostite be considered as variations of the same structure, yet thesevariations are readily identifled, microscopically and otherwise.

One practical advantage in the production of say, troostite, by direct,primary cooling, rather than by first producing the hard, brittlemartensite and then tempering it is the obviation of the danger ofproducing heat cracks. Furthermore, the direct production of troostiteis much simpler, more expeditious, cheaper, is more controllable, andresults in greater uniformity, than the indirect method. In a word, thepreferred method combines a controlled heat treatment with the weldingoperation.

Obviously, the factors which affect the structure and the hardness ofthe added metal, likewise influence the structure and hardness of thecontiguous rail steel.

As a preliminary step in this method, I may grind a depression about -Vinch deep to receive a strip of weld metal of more substantial thicknessthan has heretofore been provided, especially at the run-off of build upareas.

Although I have described a particular method,

of producing a pair of rails ends at a rail joint having alongitudinally extending hardened strip of metal built up above thebattered tread, other methods of producing and controlling the hardnessmay be employed as, for example, by the application of a suitable heattreatment to the deposited metal as described below.

For hardening a longitudinal strip as on the tread of a rail at an endthereof, I may apply heat from a row of oxy-acetylene torches, suitablysupported lengthwise over the rail, spaced at suitable distances so thatthe several areas heated by the individual flames join each other toform a continuous heated strip. After the striphas been heated quicklyto a bright red temperature natural cooling will serve to harden themetal. As an example, I may space four oxyacetylene torcheslongitudinally over the center of a rail head with the tips one inchapart, that nearest the rail end being A, inch therefrom. The flames,adjusted to a neutral condition should point vertically downward, thetips of the inner cones being 4 inch approximately above the uppersurface of the strip. The rate of combustion of each flame should beabout eighty cubic feet per hour each of oxygen and acetylene. Theflames should be oscillated or reciprocated about once per secondtransversely of the rail,

the ends of the tips moving a distance of about three-quarters of aninch on each stroke. The flames should be applied for about twelve tofifteen seconds. The rate of heat supply and the time of treatment canbe readily determined by trial for the particular metal used as acoating and can be controlled by observing the color of the heatedmetal. Such hardening necessarily refines and hardens the rail steelimmediately adjoining and underlying the coating.

* Some types of electrical connections across the rail joints, such assignal bonds, are brazed to the head of the rail in proximity to therail ends. This is usually done prior to the building up process sincethe brazing operation would otherwise tend to draw the temper of orsoften the hardened strip. If for any reason the signal bonds areapplied after the rail ends have been built up, the hardness can berestored by a simple treatment, applying heat in approximately the sameamount and manner as when applying the coating but preferably heatingonly to a bright red temperature.

It should be noted that the repairing of rail joints by the strip methodas herein described provides a method which does not damage signal bondsalready applied, whereas previous methods of repair which involvecoating the entire width of the tread surface with the consequentheating of the rail metal throughout its width, frequently detaches thebonds.

The strip of deposited metal is preferably located about midway of thesides of the rail, see Fig. 3. The strip may be applied in eitherdirection; for example, on a rail end it may start at the runoff, orpoint on the worn rail end most remote from the end edge or joint, andproceed across the joint to the other runoff; or, especially in the caseof an open joint, it may be startedat the end edge of one rail andcarried to the corresponding runoff, and this operation may be repeatedin the opposite direction on the other rail end.

In the case of joints in which one or both ends are chipped extensively,it is preferable to build up the chipped ends first and then to proceedas above described.

The side boundaries of the built up strip may be straight or curved, andthe width of the strip may be uniform or variable, as for example, widerat the ends than in the middle (see Fig. 6).

There are advantages in having'the strip extend obliquely with relationto the rail though generally in the direction of the length thereof. Forexample, such disposition of the strip increases the width of thecontact between the wheel and the strip with relation to the actualwidth of the strip as measured at right angles to the side boundaries ofthe strip. For illustrations of this kind of construction attention iscalled to Figures 4 and 5. Generally, however, where the strip is oneinch wide or more, there is little advantage in the above respect.

The central position of the causeway strip hras a decided advantage overa side position in most cases, because, among other reasons, where thewheel bears on the edge of a rail there is a much greater flow oftendency to mushroom" for a given hardness, than where the wheel bearsin the center of the rail.

While I have illustrated and described in detail certain advantageousembodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that suchillustration and description is not to be construed in a limiting sensebut that it is my purpose to claim the invention broadly in whateverform its principle may be utilized.

I claim:

1. In combination, a railway rail having a battered end portion thereofdepressed below the general tread level, and a single causeway stripextending substantially longitudinally over a portion of the batteredend area and above the level of the laterally adjacent battered surfaceand integrally united with the battered end portion of the rail bywelding, said strip being of suflicient width to take the wear andweight of railway wheels passing thereover, but of substantially lesswidth than the rail head throughout at least the major portion of thelength of the strip whereby the heat employed in the uniting of saidstrip to said rail may be controlled to. permit the strip to coolrapidly enough to cause the strip metal when cooled to be more resistantto plastic deformation than the rail metal, but slowly enough to causethe strip metal when cooled to be non-brittle, and being composedthroughout of metal which is more resistant to plastic deformation thanthe rail metal.

2. In combination, a railway rail having a battered end portion thereofdepressed below the general tread level, and a single causeway stripextending substantially longitudinally over a portion of the batteredend area and above the level of the laterally adjacent battered surfaceand integrally united with the battered end portion of the rail bywelding, said strip being of suflicient width to carry the wheel loadbut of less width than the rail head and spaced inward from both sideboundaries of the rail head, and being composed throughout of metalwhich is more resistant to plastic deformation than the rail metal.

3. In combination, a railway rail having a battered end portion thereofdepressed below the general tread level, and a single causeway stripextending substantially longitudinally over a portion of the batteredarea and above the level of the laterally adjacent battered end surfaceand integrally united with the battered end portion of the rail bywelding, said strip being of sufficient width tocarry the wheel load butof substantially less width than the rail head throughout at least themajor portion of its length and being composed throughout of hardenablemetal in condition to assure a scleroscope hardness throughout of atleast 60 when it has been cold worked by service.

4. In combination, a railway rail having a battered end portion thereofdepressed below the general tread level, and a single causeway strip ofsuflicient width to carry the wheel load extending substantiallylongitudinally over a portion of the battered end area and above thelevel of the laterally adjacent battered surface and integrally unitedwith the battered end portion of the rail by welding, said strip havinga width less than three-quarters of the width of the rail headthroughout the major portion at least of the length of the strip, andbeing composed throughout of metal which is more resilient to plasticdeformation than the rail metal.

5. In combination, a railway rail having a battered end portion thereofdepressed below the general tread level, and a single causeway strip ofsufficient width to carry the wheel load extending substantiallylongitudinally over a portion of the battered end area and above thelevel of the laterally adjacent battered surface and integrally unitedwith the battered end portion of the rail by welding, said strip beingnot wider than can be conveniently deposited by an average torch welderas a single bead and being composed throughout of metal which is moreresistant to plastic deformation than the rail metal.

6. In combination, a railway rail having a battered end portion thereofdepressed below the general tread level, and a single causeway strip ofsufficient width to carry the wheel load extending substantiallylongitudinally over a portion of the battered end area and above thelevel of the laterally adjacent battered surface and integrally unitedwith the battered end portion of the rail by welding, said strip beingof sumtantially less width than the rail I head throughout at least themajor portion of its length, and being composed throughout of metalwhich has a Brinell hardness of at least 350.

7. In combination, a railway rail having a battered end portion thereofdepressed below the general tread level, and a single causeway strip ofsufiicient width to carry the wheel load extending substantiallylongitudinally over a portion of the battered area and above the levelof the laterally adjacent battered end surface and integrally unitedwith the battered end portion of the rail by Welding, said strip beingof substantially less width than the rail head throughout at least themajor portion of its length and being composed throughout of metal whichhas a Brinell or equivalent scleroscope hardness of at least at leastthe major portion of its length and being composed throughout of metalwhich has a Brinell or equivalent scleroscope hardness, before service,of not less than 330 or more than 350.

9. A repaired rail having a battered end portion depressed below thegeneral tread level and having a coating of hardenable steel alloyjoined integrally with the top surface of the battered rail end, saidcoating comprising a longitudinal causeway strip of sufficient width tocarry the wheel load substantially harder throughout than the rail andnot wider than three-fourths of the width of the head of the rail, andhaving a metallographic structure throughout, characteristic of metaldeposited in such a narrow strip progressively and substantiallycontinuously, and allowed to cool naturally from a molten condition toatmospheric temperature without having been subsequently reheated to anextent sufiieient to draw the temper of the deposited metal.

10. A repaired rail having a battered end portion depressed below thegeneral tread level and having a coating of hardenable steel alloyjoined integrally with the top surface of the battered rail end, saidcoating comprising a longitudinal causeway strip of suflicient width tocarry the wheel load, substantially harder throughout than the rail andnot wider than three-fourths of the width of the head of the rail, andhaving a metallographic structure throughout, characteristic of metaldeposited in such a narrow strip progressively and substantiallycontinuously, and allowed to cool naturally from a temperature above thecritical temperature to atmospheric temperature without having beensubsequently reheated to an extent sufiicient to' draw the temper oi thedeposited metal.

11. In combination, a railway rail having a battered end portion thereofdepressed below the general tread level, and a single causeway strip ofsufficient width to carry the wheel load extending substantiallylongitudinally over a portion of the battered end area and above thelevel of the laterally adjacent battered surface, and integrally unitedwith the battered end portion of the rail by welding, said strip beingof substantially less width than the rail head throughout at least themajor portion of its length and being composed principally of troostitethroughout. v 12. In combination, a railway rail having a battered endportion thereof depressed below the general tread level, and a singlecauseway strip of sufficient width to carry the wheel load extendingsubstantially longitudinally from the rail end over a substantialportion of the battered end area and above the level of the laterallyadjacent battered surface and integraly united with the battered endportion of the rail by welding, said strip having a width less thanthree- ,quarters of the width of the tread surface throughout the majorportion at least of the length of the strip, and being composedthroughout at least the major portion of its length of metal which ismore resistant to plastic deformation than the rail metal.

HARRY S. GEORGE.

